Skate



' Dec.- 22 925 1,566,706

C. A. THOMAS SKATE Filed Jan. 7. 1925 WITNESSES INVENTOR 61,4. 1770mm; W W--- wag ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 22, 1925 UNITED'QVISTATES o'mrronnn. THOMAS, or Yaxmmwasnnvoron.

SKATE.

Application filed January To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD A. THOMAS, a citizen of the;Un ited States,and resident of Yakima, in the county of Yakima and State of Washington haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Skates,.of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in skates of the type having a body mounted on Wheels, and .it c'onsists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed. a V H More specifically. defined, the. present invention contemplates the provision of ,a skatecomprising a foot plate or body which is supported on two wheels, one positioned in advance of the other. L c An object of the.present-invention.is the provision of a skate-f, the character described, which affords v. facilities for securing and staying the skate body to thefo'ot of a wearer solthatplaybetween the foot .of the wearer and the skate is precluded and the use of the skate in an ordinary manner does not cause any twisting orside stress on the foot of the wearer.

- A, further objectuof the invention is the provision ofa skate of the character de- SGI'lbBCl which is adapted to be secured firmly 'to the foot of awearer withoutcausing any discomfort to the wearer. I

I A'still further obgeot of the invention is the provision of a skate of the character .de-

scribed having'means for protecting and shielding the wheels thereof to prevent contact of the wheels of the skate' on onefoot with the skate on the other 'fOOt of a user.

Other objects and advantages will beapparent from thefollowing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skate embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of-the skate and Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the skate, the wheels thereof being 7 shown in elevation.

The body of the skate comprises a foot plate consisting of a front section 1 and a rear section'2, the :front section slidably overlapping there'ar sectionand the lapped portions of the front and rear sections having vertically aligned-slots?) and 4: respecatively extending longitudinally of the sections.

, ,Bolts5 extends through the aligned Slots 7, 1 925. seriarno. 1,065.

end, as indicated at 7 to provide a socket. for

the reception of the heel of the shoe of a wearer ofthe skate. An upstandinglbraoe for] engaging with the rear portion 'of the shoe of the wearer is indicated at .81 and .is

secured to the rearward portion ofthe offset part of' the back section 2 in any suitable known manneig a's by being formed Iwith' a PATENT?017F195? rearwardly turnedfiange 9 which rests fiatw se upon thejofiset portion/T, the'flange'Q and the underlying portion oftheback seetion of the foot plate having I vertically aligned openings for the reception vof b'olts, such as" indicated at'lO, the bolts-having nuts, as indicated at 11jscrewed ther'eon. The lower end portionof thebracing member 8 isenlarged, laterally, as indicated at 12 and is curved in horizontal sectional'contour to'conform to the curvature of;the:heel

portion of the shoev of aflwearer.

The rearward end portion of the front section 10f the footplate curves rearwardly .and upwardly adjacent tovthe' rear endof the slot 3 and'then extends liorizontally a s indicated at 13slightl'y beyond thefvertical line of the forward end of the, downwardly oflset portion 7 of the back section 21am then is bent to, extendvertically downward as" at 1,4 to engageat its end with the' ofi'set portion 7 The portion 13 of the front section is adapted to underlie the instep portion of the shoe of a wearer and to'closely contact with the arched portion of the sole of the shoe while the vertical portionof the front section is adapted to bear against the front side of the heel of the shoe of the wearer. w j

The front section 1 of the foot platecan be slid rearwardly on the forward portion of the back section of. the foot plate until the heel of the shoe of the wearer is clamped between the end portion 1 1. of the front section and theenlarged portion 12 of the bracing member at the rear of the downwardly offset portion 7 of the back section. V e The forward endportion of the front section 1 of the foot plate is arched longitudinally substantially along the arc of a clrcle as indicated at 15 and the arched portion 15 is formed with a'pair of integral side memhere, as at 16, thus producing a protective hood or housing at the forward end of the skate body. This protective housing is open at its lower end which'terminates substantially in the plane of the forward end portion of the front section land. the side members 16 are provided adjacent to their lower. edges with aligned bearings for a front axle.17' which, carries a wheel 18; ,The axis of the aXlelT-is located above the level of the front section 10f the foot plate but the wheel 18 is of sufficient diameter to protrude from .the protective hood through the opening at the lowersi-de thereof for rolling engagement with a level surface 19-. H

' The back section 2 has the rearward'end portion thereof arched longitudinally substantially along the arc of a circle, as indicated at- 20. The arched portion 20 is provided with side members 21, the side mem bers 21 being formedwith aligned bearings for a rear axle 22 which carries a rear wheel 23 The arched portion 20 [and side mem- :ber's21 provide a protectiveh'ood or housing 7 for the rearwheelwhich depends through the opening at the lower side of the protective housing for rolling engagement with the" front side of the ankle portion of the shoe. Thefront'bracing stripf24 is pro;-

' vided at intervals along its length with pairs of lateral loops as indicated at 27,28,29 and 30 respectively; The front section 1 is provided with pairs of'lateral loops 31'and 32 respectively adapted to cooperate with the loops 27 and 28 to engage with fasteningstr'aps 3 3 and 34' respectively. The enlargedlower end portion 12 of the brace 8 is provided with a pair of lateral loops 3-5 for cooperating with the loops-29 to engage with snaps, as at 36 and the upper end portion of the bracing member 8 is provided with a pair of lateral loops'37 for cooperating with the loops 30 to engage with straps,

as at 38. The bracing members 2 1 and 8 preferably are 'made of metal of considermaterial underlying the front bracing member 24 while a similar pad 40 provides a facing for the inner side of thebracing member '8, the-respective pads 39 and 40 extending laterally of the bracing members with which "they are associated.

a wearer. able flexibility. A'pad 39 of leather or like if From the foregoingv description ofthe various'parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The provision of the heel socket and the hereinbefore described means for securing the skate body to the foot of a wearer permits the skate body to be secured firmly to the foot of a wearer without discomfort to the wearer so that play will be prevented between the. skate body and the shoe of awearer and therefore the act of skating can be accomplished with but very little' fatigue and without causing strain of the muscles or ligaments of'th e foot offlthe wearer. The

construction of theskate body and the pro vision of the means for securing the skate body to the footv of the wearer assures good balancezof the weareron. a pairof the skates.

The provision of the protective hood for the wheels of the skate prevents interference of the wheel of one'skatewith theother skate at any time during skating operations. I claim Y 1. A skate of the character described comprisinga foot plate consisting of a'rear section having the rear end portion thereof downwardly-offset, a front section slidably overlapping the front portion of the rear section, said lapped portions having verti 'cally aligned slots extending longitudinally thereof, means extendingthrough said slots for clamping said sections together in adjusted position in respect to one another,a

Tear bracing member upstanding'froin the downwardly offset portion of the rear section of the foot plate, said bracingmember having-the lower end portion thereof later ally enlarged andcurved-to conform to the curvature of the' heelportion of. a shoe of the wearer the rearward end portion of the front section bein curved upwardly and vrearwardly from t e rear end of the slot therein to closely contact with the archjporend with the downwardly offset portion of the rear s'ec'tiono'f' the f ot plate and for engaging with the frontfa e of the heel of a shoe of the wearer, and means'for securing said'foot plate to thefoot of a wearer, said securing means including a front braciiig member comprising an elongated strip carried-by the front section'of said'foot plate and extending rearwardly and upwardly for engagement with the upper and forward portion of the foot and ankle of 2. A skate of thecharacter described comprising a foot'plate consisting of a rear section having the rear end portion thereof downwardly offset, a front section slidably overla'ppingthe front portion of the rear section, said lapped portions having vertically aligned slots ex ending longitudinal y tion of the sole of a shoe of the wearer and I having the extreme rearward end portion thereofbent downwardly to engage atits thereof, means extending through said slots for clamping said sections together in adtion of the footv plate, said bracing member having the lower end portion thereof laterally enlarged and curved to conform to the curvature of the heel portion of a shoe of the wearer, the rearward .end portion of the front section being curved upwardly and rearwardly from the rear, end of the sole of a shoe of the wearer and having the extreme rearward end portion thereof bent downwardly to engage at its end with the downwardly offset portion of the rear section of the foot plate and for engaging with the front face of the heel of a shoe of the wearer,

and means for securing said foot plate to the foot of a wearer, said securlng means 1neluding a front bracing member comprising an elongated strip carried by the front section of said foot plate and extending rearwardly and upwardly for engagement with the upper and forward portion of the foot and ankle of a wearer, said bracing members being formed of metal possessing considerable flexibility, and leather pads for the bracing members.

3. A skate of the character described comprising a foot plate consisting of a rear section having the rear end portion thereof downwardly offset, a front section slidably overlapping the front portion of the rear section, said lapped portions having vertically aligned slots extending longitudinally thereof, means extending through said slots for clamping said sections together in adjusted position in respect to one another, a rear bracing member upstanding from the downwardly offset portion of the rear section of the foot plate, said bracing member having the lower end portion thereof laterally enlarged and curved to conform to the curvature of the heel portion of a shoe of the wearer, the rearward end portion of the front section being curved upwardly and rearwardly from the rear end of the slots therein to closely contact with the arch portion of the sole of a shoe of the wearer and having the extreme rearward end portion thereof bent downwardly to engage at its end with the downwardly offset portion of the rear section of the foot plate and for engaging with the frontface of the heel of a shoe of the wearer, and means for securing said foot plate to the foot of a wearer, said securing means including a front bracing member comprising an elongated strip carried by the front section of said foot plate and extending rearwardly and upwardly for engagement with the upper and forward P ts. 9f th t n ank a a re;

spaced flexible fastening elements adjustably connecting said front bracing member w1t h the front section, and other flexible fastening elements adjustably connecting said front bracing member, the respective flexible fastening elements being adapted to cooperate w1th the skate body and the bracing of a wearer;

A skate of the character described comprising a foot plate consisting of a rear section having the rear end portion thereof downwardly offset, a front section slidably members to secure the skate body to'the foot overlapping the front portion of the rear section, means for adjustably securing said lapped portions of the front and rear sections of the foot plate together, means fixed to the rear section and upstanding from the downwardly oflset rear end portion of the rear section for engaging the back part of the heel of a shoe of the wearer of the skate, the rearward end portion of the frontsection of the foot platebeing curved upwardly and rearwardly adjacent to its rearward end to closely contact with the arch portion of the sole of the shoe of the wearer, the extreme rearward end of the front section of the foot plate being bent downwardly into the downwardly offset portion of the rear section of the foot plate and being adapted to engage with the front face of the heel of the shoe of the wearer, and means for secur- 7 ing said foot plate to the foot of the wearer.

5. A skate of the character described comprising a foot plate consisting'of a rear section having the rear end portion thereof downwardly offset, a front section slidably overlapping the front portion of the rear section, said lapped portions having vertically aligned slots extending longitudinally thereof, means extending through said slots for clamping said sections together in ad: justed position in respect to one another, a rear bracing member upstanding from the downwardly offset portion of the rear section of the foot plate, said bracing member having the lower end portion thereof laterally enlarged and curved to conform to the curvature of the heel port-ion of a shoe of the wearer, the rearward end port-ion of the front section being curved upwardly and rearwardly from the rear end of the slot therein to closely contact with the arch portion of the sole of a shoe of the wearer and having the extreme rearward end portion thereof bent downwardly to engage at its end with the downwardly offset portion of the rear section of the foot plate and for engaging with the front face of the heel ofa shoe of the wearer, and means for securing said foot plate to the foot of a wearer.

@MFFQRD THOMAS: 

